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		<H2><A NAME="HDRUNDUSE" ></A>Chapter 5. Graphical User Interface: Basics
</H2>
		<P><A NAME="PToC8" HREF="../usrguide.htm">Partial Table-of-Contents</A>
		<MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_106" HREF="#Header_106">5.1 Starting Data Explorer</A>
<MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_107" HREF="#HDRENVAR">Using Environment Variables</A>
</MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_111" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDRTYPES">5.2 Understanding Data
Explorer Windows</A>
<MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_112" HREF="usrgu037.htm#Header_112">Looking at Window
Structure</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_113" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDRUSEMOUS">Using the Mouse</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_114" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDRRESIZE">Moving and Resizing
Windows</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_115" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDRSELMEN">Selecting Pull-Down Menus
and Pull-Down Menu Options</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_116" HREF="usrgu037.htm#Header_116">Selecting and Deselecting
Items with the Mouse</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_117" HREF="usrgu037.htm#Header_117">Selecting a Choice in an
Option Box</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_118" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDREDTXT">Editing Text Fields</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_119" HREF="usrgu037.htm#HDRWINSTAK">Working with Windows</A>
</MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_120" HREF="usrgu038.htm#HDRONHELP">5.3 Using Online Help</A>
<MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_121" HREF="usrgu038.htm#HDRUSRHELP">User-Defined Help
Files</A>
</MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_122" HREF="usrgu039.htm#HDREXVP">5.4 Executing a Visual
Program</A>
<MENU>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_123" HREF="usrgu039.htm#HDRSEQUEN">Using the Sequencer</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_124" HREF="usrgu039.htm#Header_124">Using a Data-Driven
Sequencer</A>
<LI><A NAME="PToC_125" HREF="usrgu039.htm#HDRERMSGS">Error Messages</A>
</MENU></MENU><HR><P>
<A NAME="IDX614"></A>
<A NAME="IDX615"></A>
<A NAME="IDX616"></A>
<P>
This chapter describes how to use the graphical user interface provided
with Data Explorer.
This interface enables you to create and control the visualization of
data.
An image is created by applying data, as input, to a visual program.
The visual program is a sequence of interconnected functions acting on one or
more inputs and producing one or more outputs.
Typically, input is user data and output is a realization of that data
in the form of an image.
<P>
Data Explorer consists of the following windows&#58;
<TABLE CELLPADDING="3">

<TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Startup Window
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Startup window to access other windows in Data
Explorer.

</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Visual Program Editor
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Visual Program Editor (VPE) to create and alter
visual programs and macros.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Control Panel
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use Control Panel windows to set and control the
input parameters of visual program tools.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Image
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Image window to view an image created by Data
Explorer.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Colormap Editor
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Colormap Editor to map colors and opacity to
specified data.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Sequencer
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Sequencer to advance through a data series or to
step
through a changing sequence of input parameters.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Message Window
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Message window to access
error and working information about your execution.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Help
</B></TD><TD><P>You can use the Help window to access online documentation.
</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Data Prompter
</B></TD><TD><P>A graphical user interface that simplifies the

import of data.

</TD></TR><TR VALIGN="TOP"><TD><P><B>Module Builder
</B></TD><TD><P>A graphical user interface that simplifies the process of adding
modules to Data Explorer.
</TD></TR></TABLE>
For information on the Data Prompter, see <I>IBM Visualization Data Explorer
QuickStart Guide</I>; on the Module
Builder, <I>IBM Visualization Data Explorer Programmer&#39;s Reference</I>.
<HR>
<H2><A NAME="Header_106" ></A>5.1 Starting Data Explorer</H2>
<A NAME="IDX617"></A>
<P>
To run Data Explorer using a workstation, you must have:
<UL COMPACT>
<LI>An account on the workstation
<LI>If the executive portion of Data Explorer is to be executed on a remote
workstation, then a <TT><STRONG>.</STRONG>rhosts</TT> file in your
home directory should contain the name of the machine on
which the user interface will run.
The permissions for the <TT><STRONG>.</STRONG>rhosts</TT> file should be set
to 600 (read and write only by the owner).
</UL>
<P>
You can start Data Explorer in any of several modes.
In all cases, you must first do the following:
<OL COMPACT>
<LI>Log on to your workstation.
<LI>Start an X Window System running with the Motif or the appropriate
window manager.
</OL>
<P>
If you are going to create, modify, and execute visual programs, start Data
Explorer
initially in the Visual Program Editor and connect to the
executive (server) by typing:
<PRE>

dx -edit &#91;<VAR>program</VAR>&#93;

</PRE>
where <VAR>program</VAR> (which is optional) names an existing visual program.
<P>
If you plan to execute a previously created visual program, start Data Explorer
initially in the Image window and connect to the executive
(server) by typing:
<PRE>
dx -image <VAR>program</VAR>
</PRE>
<I>or</I>
<PRE>
dx -menubar <VAR>program</VAR>
</PRE>
where <VAR>program</VAR> is the name of an existing  visual program.
<P>
You may want to start the user interface without connecting to the
executive.
For example, you may want to work on a visual program or macro, but may not plan
to execute it until some later time.
In that case, you can start Data Explorer with the following command:
<PRE>

dx -edit -uionly

</PRE>
Once the user interface is started, you can connect to the executive
portion of Data Explorer by following the procedures described in
<A HREF="usrgu049.htm#HDRCONSERV">9.3 , "Connecting to the Server"</A>.
<P>
All of the command line options for Data Explorer are described in
<A HREF="usrgu074.htm#HDRCMDLOPT">C.2 , "Command Line Options"</A>.
<P>
<H3><A NAME="HDRENVAR" ></A>Using Environment Variables</H3>
<A NAME="IDX618"></A>
<A NAME="IDX619"></A>
<P>
There are several environment variables that you may find useful to
customize Data Explorer.
These can be set in your login profile, or set as required.
<P>
<H5><U>DXMACROS</U></H5>
<P>
The DXMACROS environment variable is a list of the directories in which
Data Explorer will look for macros.
If you do not specify DXMACROS, you will need to load macros
individually, using the process described in
<A HREF="usrgu044.htm#HDRMACROS">7.2 , "Creating and Using Macros"</A>.
The directories are searched in the order in which they are specified in
the environment variable.
If multiple macros with the same name are encountered, the first macro
found is used.
<P>
An example of the statement setting the DXMACROS environment variable
(in the C shell environment) is the following:
<PRE>
setenv DXMACROS /usr/mydirectory/projectAmacros:/usr/mydirectory/projectBmacros
</PRE>
where <TT><STRONG>/usr/mydirectory/projectAmacros</STRONG></TT> and
<TT><STRONG>/usr/mydirectory/projectBmacros</STRONG></TT>
are two directories in which macros will be sought.
Multiple directories can be listed, with directory names separated by a
colon.
<P>
<H5><U>DXDATA</U></H5>
<P>
The DXDATA environment variable specifies a list of directories in which
Data Explorer will search for data files.
If the data you wish to import are in one of the directories specified
in the DXDATA environment variable, then you do not need to
specify the complete path name to the data in the
Configuration dialog box for the Import tool.
You can simply specify the file name, and the Import module will look in
the specified directories for the data file.
The directories are searched in the order in which they are listed in
the environment variable; and the first occurrence of the data
file is used.
<P>
An example of a statement that sets the DXDATA environment variable
(in the C shell environment) is the following:
<PRE>
setenv DXDATA /usr/mydirectory/mydata:/usr/group/groupdata
</PRE>
where <TT><STRONG>/usr/mydirectory/mydata</STRONG></TT> and
<TT><STRONG>/usr/group/groupdata</STRONG></TT> are two
directories that contain data files.
Multiple directories can be listed, with directory names separated by a
colon.
<P>
<H5><U>DXHOST</U></H5>
<P>
The DXHOST environment variable is the initial machine name of the
workstation on which to run the executive.
If DXHOST is not specified, then a default of "localhost" is used.
See <A HREF="usrgu049.htm#HDRCONSERV">9.3 , "Connecting to the Server"</A> for
more information on how to connect
to the server.
The host name should be the name that results when you issue the
<TT><STRONG>uname -n</STRONG></TT> shell command.
<P>
The rest of the environment variables and start-up options are discussed
in <A HREF="usrgu073.htm#HDRAPB">Appendix C. "Environment Variables and Command
Line Options"</A>.

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